(AGENPARL) – Thu 15 May 2025 PRESS RELEASE2025-209-EN
Ljubljana/Luxembourg, 15 May 2025
Slovenia to get expressway upgrade with €120 million EIB loan to motorway operator DARS
EIB lends Slovenian motorway company DARS €120 million to finance a bypass project near southeastern city of Novo Mesto.
Planned Novo Mesto eastern bypass is to improve traffic flow, road safety and air quality in area close to Croatian border.
Project includes more than six kilometres of cycling paths as well as bike and pedestrian bridge across river Krka.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is lending €120 million to the Slovenian national motorway company DARS to build a bypass near the southeastern city of Novo Mesto. The planned Novo Mesto eastern bypass is a 9.8-kilometre expressway that will improve traffic flow, road safety and air quality in the region, which is near the border with Croatia.
The project is expected to boost economic growth in the area by connecting to the A2 motorway, which traverses Slovenia from north to south.
In line with the EIB’s Climate Bank Roadmap commitments, it continues to invest in road projects such as the one in Novo Mesto, which includes the creation of more than six kilometres of dedicated cycling paths as well as a bike and pedestrian bridge across the river Krka, bolstering actions to promote clean forms of transport and fight climate change.
“This project reflects our support for sustainable infrastructure development in Slovenia,” said EIB Vice-President Kyriacos Kakouris. “It is part of our broader effort to help improve mobility and quality of life for residents in Novo Mesto and the wider region.”
The Novo Mesto Eastern Bypass is part of Slovenia’s plan for sustainable urban mobility and aligns with the European Union’s priorities for infrastructure development and environmental sustainability.
“We welcome the EIB’s decision to grant DARS the credit facilities to implement this key infrastructure project. We are convinced that it will significantly contribute to the development of the municipality and the wider region, while at the same time improving road safety and traffic flow for all users,” said the President of the Board of DARS, mag. Andrej Ribi.
The EIB’s advisory services, including technical assistance from JASPERS, helped in the project preparation by being involved in feasibility studies and environmental-impact assessments.
Background information
The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. Built around eight core priorities, the EIB finances investments that contribute to EU policy objectives by bolstering climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, cohesion, agriculture and the bioeconomy, social infrastructure, the capital markets union and a stronger Europe in a more peaceful and prosperous world. 
The EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund (EIF), signed nearly €89 billion in new financing for over 900 high-impact projects in 2024, boosting Europe’s competitiveness and security.   
All projects financed by the EIB Group are in line with the Paris Climate Agreement, as pledged in the organisation’s Climate Bank Roadmap. Almost 60% of the EIB Group’s annual financing supports projects directly contributing to climate-change mitigation, adaptation and a healthier environment. Fostering market integration and mobilising investment, the Group supported a record of over €100 billion in new investment for Europe’s energy security in 2024 and mobilised €110 billion in growth capital for startups, scale-ups and European pioneers. Approximately half of the EIB’s financing within the EU is directed towards cohesion regions, where per-capita income is lower than the EU average. 
High-quality, up-to-date photos of the EIB Group’s headquarters for media use are available here.
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